There are numerous card games which use standard playing cards. One such game is baccarat which is played most frequently from a shoe which represents an easy method of dealing cards from a multiple deck supply. Baccarat uses standard card decks with the jokers removed. In baccarat, the shoe is generally passed around the table to each individual bettor in a counterclockwise direction.
In baccarat, each numbered card 2 to 9 counts as its face value, aces count as one and face cards count as zero. The game is begun by dealing two cards to a Player and two cards to a Banker. The value of a hand is determined by first summing the value of the two cards dealt. If the card values summation is between ten and nineteen, the value ten is subtracted from such a card value summation to determine the hand value. If the card value summation is between twenty and twenty nine, then the value twenty is subtracted from the card value summation to determine the hand value. In short, the value of the "ones" digit after a card value summation is the hand value in baccarat.
Each party will stand or draw on the hand based upon a strict set of rules to determine the outcome. First, the Player stands if the Player's hand value is six through nine. If either the Player's hand or the Banker's hand is an eight or a nine, the hand is stopped and a decision is called as to the winner. The winner is the party with the larger hand value. If the parties tie, there is no action on the bet and bettors are free to increase, decrease, remove or change their bets.
If the Player's hand value is less than six, the Player draws a third card. The Banker draws or stands according to strict rules.
First, the Banker always draws on a Banker's hand value of zero through two and always stands on a Banker's hand value of seven through nine. But if the Banker's hand is between three and six, the decision to draw or stand is based upon the value of the Player's third card.
If the Banker's hand value is three, the Banker will draw a third card unless the Player's third card is an eight. If the Banker's hand value is four, the Banker will draw unless the Player's third card is a zero, one, eight or nine. If the Banker's hand value is five, the Banker will draw unless the Player's third card is zero through three or eight or nine. Lastly, if the Banker's hand value is six, the Banker will draw unless the Player's third card is zero through five and eight or nine.
Mathematically, the above rules provide a slight edge for the Banker. Without compensating for that edge, baccarat would be a losing proposition to casinos. Thus, casinos charge a commission, typically 5%, on winning Banker's hands which eliminates that slight edge and also provides the casino with its percentage.
As best seen in FIG. 1, a formal baccarat table has positions for twelve bettors 12, two dealers 18 and a caller 16. In front of each bettor are two boxes, one box (conventionally the closest to the bettor) for betting the Player will win and one box for betting that the Banker will win. The two dealers 18 are responsible for paying bets when bettors win and removing bets when bettors lose. The caller 16 is responsible for directing the game, the deal, calling the outcome and the passing of the shoe. The shoe passes from bettor to bettor as the game progresses.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that many casinos offer a more informal variation generally termed mini-baccarat in which only one casino employee performs both the dealer and caller functions.
As should be apparent, the rules of baccarat are difficult to learn and therefore intimidating to many bettors. There have been several attempts to derive a simpler, easier to understand game.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,041 entitled "High Card Wagering Game" which issued on Jun. 28, 1994 to Boylan et al. discloses a card game in which one card is dealt to each player and one card to the dealer. The high card wins though there are a series of alternatives. There are seven bettor positions and a dealer position. Each bettor position has two betting areas, an area 12 for placing an ante bet and an area 14 for placing of a tie bet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,946 entitled "Method of Playing a Wagering Casino-Type Card Game" which issued on Dec. 17, 1991 to Miller shows a card game in which one card is dealt to a first player and one to a second player. The numerical value of the first player's card is compared to the numerical value of the second player's card. There is then a series of options, but essentially, a tie ends the game or the player with the lower card gets another card whose numerical value is added to the first. If there is still no tie, this process continues until one of the hands exceeds a predetermined amount.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,309 entitled "Card Game" which issued on Jun. 25, 1996 to Bartlett shows a game combining elements of baccarat and blackjack in which bettors play individual hands against a dealer.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,353 entitled "Method of Playing a Blackjack Type Card Game" which issued on May 9, 1995 to Demarest et al. discloses a table with seven player positions, a dealer position and a wager pool area 31.
The known prior art is described above. None of the known prior art disclose the game set forth herein.